MEET THE TEAM

Get to know Team WITS

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Ashley Bloom, Chief Development Officer

She/Her

    As WITS Chief Development Officer, Ashley Bloom fosters a culture of philanthropy and ensures that fund development strategies are executed in keeping with the WITS values, vision, and mission. She takes pride in building relationships with WITS supporters and leading the development team to achieve its goals. Ashley has worked over a decade in fundraising, holding positions at American Cancer Society, Food Allergy Research & Education, and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Ashley's passion for the WITS mission is driven by her toddler's love for reading. They enjoy experiencing the diverse world of kids lit together during bedtime read alouds.

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    Jessica Gilliam, Program Coordinator

      As a program coordinator, Jessica cultivates strong relationships between mentors, teachers, and corporate partners to provide engaging, student-centered literacy programming. Prior to joining WITS, she was the English and Community Projects Coordinator at a lab school in Merida, Mexico where she designed programs with a focus on literacy and the arts. Jessica holds an MEd in Instructional Leadership and a BA in English both from the University of Illinois at Chicago. In her free time, she enjoys reading, puzzling, and going on road trips. 

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      Sarah Hoppe Knight, Chief Program & Strategy Officer

        Before stepping into the role of Chief Program & Strategy Officer at WITS, Sarah spent 16 years at the Chicago Foundation for Education (CFE) as a program team member and, ultimately, as the Executive Director. Sarah focused her time at CFE on designing, implementing, supporting, and evaluating the organization's robust programming portfolio. Sarah holds an MA in Education Policy from New York University, a BA in Elementary Education from the University of Kentucky, and is a former public elementary school teacher. She lives with her husband and two sons in the western suburbs of Chicago.
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        Sarah Healy, Program Coordinator

        As a program coordinator, Sarah builds strong relationships among partner schools, community volunteers, and corporate partners to foster a love of reading for students and mentors. Before taking on her current role, she served as Sectional Director at Camp Manito-wish, where she was responsible for the well-being of campers and staff. Sarah graduated from Denison University in 2024 with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Environmental Studies. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor activities and reading.
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          Tena Latona, Chief Executive Officer

            As Chief Executive Officer, Tena oversees the financial growth and strategic implementation of WITS programs, the largest provider of literacy services to Chicago public elementary schools. Formerly as WITS’ Chief Strategy Officer, she oversaw the doubling of individual giving and development of sustainable funding practices. Over 10 years, she has held leadership roles in a variety of Chicago non-profits, with majority being in the education and youth development space. Tena has served as Assistant Director of Corporate Development at the University of Chicago – Booth School of Business, Director of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training Program, and Regional Director at Up2Us Sports. Before moving to Chicago she was a Development Officer at Wayne State University, where she also received both her BA in Public Relations and MBA in Marketing and Management. 

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            Jack May, Marketing Coordinator

              As WITS Marketing Coordinator, Jack develops aspects of the WITS marketing strategy, specifically focusing on social media marketing and development, website blog development, and the creation of various campaigns for WITS programs. As a Program Coordinator, Jack fosters positive relationships with schools, corporate partners, and volunteers to support WITS’ mission of advancing student literacy in Chicago Public Schools. Jack graduated from Denison University in May 2022 with a Bachelor’s degree in English – Creative Writing. Jack has an extensive background in marketing as well as education, and in his free time he enjoys reading, writing, and rock climbing.

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              Tra'Lisha Renteria, Program Specialist

                Tra’Lisha coordinates WITS student literacy programs, acts as a liaison between our partner schools and our community and corporate volunteers, and is responsible for reconstructing the WITS Mid-Day mentoring journal to align with Common Core Standards. Tra’Lisha holds a BA in English from Dominican University and an MA in Organizational Leadership from Lewis University. Prior to coordinating programs, she held AmeriCorps positions with organizations such as Jumpstart and City Year Chicago. During her free time, Tra’Lisha enjoys boxing, playing her guitar, and photography.

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                Daphne Robinson, Community Manager

                  As Community Manager, Daphne recruits and builds relationships with community volunteers and teachers to ensure robust teacher and mentor participation in WITS volunteer Programs. Daphne is a former Rochelle Lee Teacher Award recipient and facilitates the Teachers and Children as Readers - TACAR book club. Daphne received a BA in Theology and Italian from Loyola University Chicago, a Master of Science in Journalism from Roosevelt University, a Master of Arts in Teaching from Roosevelt University and Middle School Endorsement from Roosevelt University. Daphne loves to read.
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                  Estefania Rodriguez, Program Coordinator

                    Estefania is a bilingual psychologist with a second degree in International Relations both from University San Francisco of Quito “Universidad San Francisco de Quito”. Prior to joining WITS, Estefania worked in Quito, Ecuador as an Advisor to City Counselor where she wrote laws to rule the city of Quito in topics such as education, disabilities and mental health. In addition, Estefania worked as an inclusive teacher in Buenos Aires, Argentina where she created programs that were individually tailored to each special needs student so they could be integrated into public schools. In her free time she likes to dance salsa, play guitar and sign.

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                    Kellie Romany, Marketing Director

                    She/Her

                      Kellie develops and manages all aspects of the WITS marketing strategy. This includes website development, creation of all assets for campaigns, as well as all video production for WITS programs. Kellie graduated with a BA in General Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art and a MFA in Painting and Drawing from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Kellie is a practicing artist and has participated in programming at major museums, including The High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. Kellie has also shown in galleries both nationally and internationally. 

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                      Ellen Werner, Student Program Director

                        As Program Director, Ellen cultivates school and corporate relationships, oversees program design and quality control, and manages the WITS library and WITSummer Books initiatives. Ellen formerly served with Christopher House, focusing on adult literacy programs. She earned her BA in English from DePaul University.

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                        Nick Wilson, Operations Manager

                          Nick manages WITS operations and administrative processes including gift processing, accounts payable, acknowledgment letters, database management, and risk management. He previously worked in operations at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the University of Chicago Booth Schools of Business. He has an AA in Philosophy from Harold Washington College. His favorite hobby is reading.